Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite that can live in soil, raw meat and cat faeces (poo).

Infection with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or damage to the baby’s eyes, ears or brain.

To reduce the risk of infection, avoid changing cat litter (if you have to do it, wear rubber gloves and wash your hands afterwards), wear gloves when gardening and wash all soil off fruit and vegetables.

You should also wash your hands thoroughly after handling uncooked meat, and keep uncooked and cooked meat separate.

The more active and fit you are, the easier it will be for you to cope comfortably with pregnancy.

Regular exercise will improve your health and help reduce stress, but if you're not used to exercise, start off slowly. Don't suddenly take up strenuous exercise.

Walking and swimming are good ways to start getting fit, and a yoga or Pilates class can help with relaxation and muscle tone. Whatever exercise you do, talk to your doctor or exercise instructor if you become pregnant, as you may need to adapt the exercise you do.

Avoid exercise or sports where there's a risk of being hit in the abdomen, such as martial arts. You should take extra care during activities where there's a risk of falling or losing your balance, such as cycling and horse riding.

You can find out more information and advice about pre-pregnancy exercise, and exercise during pregnancy, from:

Many women ask how much is safe to drink during pregnancy or when trying for a baby. The safest approach is not to drink at all. This is because there's no known safe level for drinking during pregnancy.

Alcohol can damage sperm production, so men should cut down on drinking too.

If you do choose to drink, then it's recommended you avoid alcohol completely in the first three months of pregnancy. After this, try to limit alcohol to the occasional drink and not more than one or two units once or twice a week.

If you drink heavily and frequently in pregnancy, or you regularly binge drink, this can harm the baby’s development and health.

Heavy drinking can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). These describe a range of symptoms that can be caused by drinking alcohol in pregnancy, including damage to the facial features, brain, heart and kidneys, and learning difficulties and behavioural problems in later life.

What if I drank before I knew I was pregnant?

Many pregnancies are unplanned. You may have had a one-off binge and then later discover that you conceived at or around this time.

Many women worry that this might have caused harm to the baby. It's thought that the risk of harm from a single episode of binge drinking is likely to be low. If you're worried, talk to your GP or midwife.

Help with alcohol

If you or your partner find it difficult to cut down on alcohol, you can get help and support from:

Your general practice – talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife.

Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline (0300 123 1110).

www.drinkaware.co.uk, a website that can help you count your units, and offers information on drinking in pregnancy and advice on cutting down.

Some occupations expose you to substances or surroundings that may be harmful if you become pregnant. If you're concerned, speak to your manager or health and safety officer to find out more about any risks there might be.

You can find out more information from the Health and Safety Executive website at www.hse.gov.uk.

Information last updated: January 2018

Next planned review by: October 2018

This website can only give you general information. Our information about planning a pregnancy is based on evidence-guided research from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Contact your doctor, practice nurse or a contraception clinic if you're worried or unsure about anything.